An excellent book on the subject of famed serial killer Herman Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes, a professional con man who made a habit of killing women for their money, and went so far as to construct an elaborate death house in the heart of Chicago. A murderer whose apprehension made headlines at the time, the book is well researched and documented, including reprinted materials from the newspapers covering events at the time. H.H. Holmes is probably one of the most bizarre, enigmatic, and monstrous killers in American history, and The Torture Doctor is an exhaustive compendium of his crimes. A must-have for any True Crime fan. ( )

A straightforward account of the crimes of H. H. Holmes, 19th century serial killer, and the impressive detective work that led to his arrest. He was convicted of the murder of one person, for insurance money, then confessed to killing 26 people, mostly to gain petty amounts of money or just to get them out of the way when they became inconvenient. It's well illustrated with drawings and other ephemera from the newspapers of the time. The author uses a style similar to that of contemporary tabloids, which I found charming in an weird way. Apparently this book is the first one about this killer and maybe that's why it's going for $35 and up on abebooks. ( )

A very well-researched account of one of the most accomplished habitual killers in nineteenth century America. My only complaint is that it includes very little about Mudgett's childhood, which would have been interesting to read about if there were information available. ( )